Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Honoring those who Served

This newly constructed memorial is dedicated to those who served our country in the armed forces. The floor of this memorial is lined with brick pavers honoring the men and women from my small town who answered the call to serve and protect our freedoms. I took this photo, last night, on the eve of Veterans Day.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Today, in America, we say “thank you” to our veterans for having served in our armed forces and we pray for the repose of the souls of those have served and have passed away.

I would especially like to say thank you to my dear, dear friend, Gillian, who served in the United States Air Force as an MP in the early to mid-1990s. (Gillian and I were college roommates and her parents opened their home to me when I first relocated to Kansas City. We have been close friends since the day we met in 1989. ) Gillian and both of her siblings all chose to enter the armed forces…three different branches. Her brother and sister are still actively serving in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard. Thank you Mr. & Mrs. H. for raising such honorable and brave children who served, or are serving, our Country with pride.

If you feel so inclined, hop on over to ,The Middle Lands, Gillian’s blog and leave her a message of thanks. It is a beautiful blog dedicated to her love of nature, the arts, and her family that is indicative of the beautiful person she is.

The brick pavers and marble dedication in the center of the memorial to those who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice.

How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! ~Maya Angelou Thank you, Gillian!!!

11 comments:

Val, isn't the memorial neat. This Saturday I am taking Sam to the VFW they are going to have some fun activities for kids and a helicopter is going to flown in and vintage planes will fly over. What little boy wouldn't love to see this? Call me.

Thank you so much Valerie. I wasn't going to blog this Veteran's Day or maybe I would just put a blip about the WASPs. But you have inspired me to blog about an issue that has been rolling around in my head since the Ft. Hood shooting. I'm sorry I am a day late but if you and your readers were to head over to my blog now - www.themiddleland.blogspot.com - I welcome and encourage frank comments.

1 Thessalonians 4: 11-12

"MAKE IT YOUR AMBITION TO LEAD A QUIET LIFE, TO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND TO WORK WITH YOUR HANDS, JUST AS WE TOLD YOU, SO THAT YOUR DAILY LIFE MAY WIN THE RESPECT OF OUTSIDERS AND SO THAT YOU WILL NOT BE DEPENDENT ON ANYBODY."

About Me

Welcome! I'm glad you're here. My name is Valerie. I am a 40-something Catholic mom to three precious kiddos (Mary, Ben, and Luke) and classroom teacher to 23 adorable 3rd and 4th Graders at St. Paul Catholic School. I just completed my first year of full-time employment after taking a 5-year break from teaching. I love my early-morning quiet times with the Lord, sneaking into the Adoration chapel after 3:15 dismissal and incorporating Catholicism into reading, math, science and social studies. I enjoy hot tea, a strong cup of coffee and the occasional glass of red wine! It could be said that I am gently old-fashioned…lover of children's classic literature, wrap-around porches, and handmade quilts. I prefer sundresses to shorts. I love making my house a home to honor the Lord. I am abundantly blessed.